Geoff Calkins' Take 5: On the Grizzlies, guacamole, Gregg Popovich and more

San Antonio Spurs head coach Gregg Popovich, second from left, converses with Spurs players, from left to right, Kawhi Leonard, Tim Duncan, Tony Parker, of France, Manu Ginobili, of Argentina, and Boris Diaw, also of France, during a timeout in the second half of Game 1 of the Western Conference final NBA basketball playoff series against the Memphis Grizzlies, Sunday, May 19, 2013, in San Antonio. San Antonio won 105-83. (AP Photo/Darren Abate)

Five quick thoughts while waiting for Game 2 to tip off:

1. Went to Boudro's on the Riverwalk for lunch and got the guacamole for two. And, yes, I was alone. Want to make something of it? As ever, the guacamole was spectacular. Here's the recipe for you to deploy during your Grizzlies NBA Finals party.

2. If the Grizzlies are going to make it to the Finals, of course, they'll have to play better than they did Sunday. For all the strategic issues that have been discussed, the Grizzlies also have to remember to -- in the words of Lionel Hollins -- "just go play basketball." The Grizzlies were out of sorts from the start Sunday. Indeed, they reminded me of those other Grizzlies playoff teams, the first three playoff teams, from long ago, who came totally undone once they arrived in the postseason.

3. With all the talk about blunting Tony Parker's initial attack comes an obvious question: Will Tony Allen be given that assignment? I suspect we'll see it at least a little bit. As the Clippers series went on, we saw more and more of Allen on Chris Paul. The same thing could happen here.

4. After hanging around Gregg Popovich for a couple days, I will never again complain about Hollins being churlish. This was expected to be a battle of two of the testiest coaches in the game. So far, it's a rout.

5. A Facebook friend I've never met named Larry Epstein wrote on my wall the other day. I thought his post was a perfect summation of how far we've come as a community. Here it is:

"It's ironic that I am basking in this compelling series. I didn't want the Grizzlies. I didn't want to build them a super arena paid for with the money of average Memphians. I resented tax breaks for the billionaire stuffing this down my throat. I expressed my anger to a Harvard lawyer/sports writer who was telling me what would be good for my hometown. The joke's on me. The Grizzlies and what they mean to Memphis are great. I LOVE them! GO GRIZZ!"